Container



Sept. 22, 1942. 4;;` ERB i 2,296,430

CONTAINER Filed Jan. 6. 1940 Ez g- /4 TIIIHI Tllllll A /z lll l l l ll 19 ai 5 l ZI Z6 C U I l; n Z4 AMA? ,7 mm ,6 29

ZZ N 27 Patented Sept. 22, 1942 CONTAINER George C. Erb, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 6, 1940, Serial No. 312,737

(Cl. 22o-48) 1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to containers and more particularly to a novel end construction of container body and end closure which is readily severable to open the container, after which the end closure may be used as a convenient reclosure.

An object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary container having Va novel end construction, including body and end closure parts, which construction provides a cutting portion which |may be readily cut along a definite line of severance without the cutting means or :any of the zcut parts coming in contact with the contents of the container land for these reasons the invention is especially adapted for embodiment in sanitary food containers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel container body and end closure construction which will permit ready cutting and provide fan accurate and convenient track for a cutting tool such as a rotary container opener.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel body and end closure construction having its various parts cooperatively arranged and its cutting or severing line so located that the cutting tool is solidly supported and accurately guided during the cutting operation. i

Yet another object of the invention is the .provision o'f a novel body and end closure construction which can be .formed economically with only a slight Ichange in existing body and end orming devices and which does not interfere with the attainment of a tight and (if desired) |a hermetic joint between container bordy and end closure.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better .understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing -discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the fupper part of the container and end closure :construction rand also shows in perspective the cutting and feeding parts of a rotary cutter in .position for the cutting operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the container and end reclosure in separated, superposed position, as they appear separated after the cutting operation is completed.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail, a preferred embodiment df the invention as i1- llO lustrated and exemplied in the several views, comprises a cylindrical container of sheet metal such as tin plate or other suitable material, having a body II, .a bottom end closure secured to the body II, as by the usual double seam I2 and a top end closure I3 secured to the body I I preferably also by the usual double seam I4. When the container is constructed of sheet :metal such las tin plate, the bottom and top double seams I2 and I4 comprise the usual interlocked body and end closure Iianges forming the usual five thicknesses or layers of body and cover material.

The body II for its major part has a straight cylindrical wall I5 but near its top `and below the top double seam I4, the material of the body wall is bent outwardly at a substantially right angle to the straight body wall I5 to form a horizontal wall part I6, then slightly upwardly to form a Vertical wall part I1, then inwardly a shorter distance than the width or extent of the wall part I Ii to form another horizontal wall part I8 slightly spaced vertically from and parallel with the ywall part I6, then upwardly 'again to form a vertical wall part I9 which is parallel with and spaced slightly outwardly from the straight body wall I5 and which merges into the body flange which furnishes two layers of body material for the double seam I4. The body wall parts I5, Il and I8 thus form a ledge, shoulder or bead A which provides a convenient cutter track and support and ldenes by the corner B formed by the body parts I8 and I9 a line of severance which may be readily followed and cut by a rotary cutter hereinafter described.

The top cover or end closure I3 inwardly o'f its marginal flange which is interlocked with the body ange to form the double seam I4, merges into a vertical or countersunk wall part 2I which runs parallel with and tightly hugs the body wall part I9 and is then bent inwardly to form a short substantially horizontal cover wall part 22, which in turn is bent downwardly to form a vertical cover wall portion 23. The latter extends parallel with the body wall parts I9 and |15 and frictionally engages the wall portion I5 for a short distance below the body wall part I 6. The cover wall 23 in turn is bent inwardly and continued to form a horizontal cover panel 24, which completes the end closure I3. Such an arrangement of the body and cover .wall parts leaves an annular space C between the body and cover -adjacent the body bead A, which space cooperates with a rotary cutter now to be described.

In order to open the container above described a cutter of the rotary type is used or may be adapted for use. The opener illustrated and eX- emplied in Fig. 2 essentially comprises a rotary cutter roller 25, of hardened or tempered steel, which is preferably tapered and is provided with a sharp annular cutting edge 26, and is operatively supported on a roller shaft 21, which is journalled in parts and driven by parts not here shown.. A propelling or feeding roller 28, having a small diameter roller, portion 29 which engages the cover wall part 23 and having a large diameter roller portion 3|, which engages the cover Wall parts 2l and 22 and is supported by the latter, is mounted on a shaftv 32 and is adapted to frictionally engage the stated cover wall parts and cooperates with the cutter roll 25, assisted by connecting and driving parts (not shown) to propel the cutter roll 25 and itself around the periphery of the container.

When the cutter roll 25 is in the cutting posi tion on the projecting portion or ledge A illustrated in- Fig'. 2 andthe cutter .0perat,ed, the cutting edge j 26.; coincides rwfitlfiV the -corner B: adjacent the annularv space,- C: and: severs the material of the container body along a line `'ofseverance dened by thecorner B, and because .of the usualv pressureexerted bet-Ween the; cutter roll 25 andv the feed roll 28L a cleanfcut iS: effected and the'cover I3 including aporton of the body wal-l is.` separated from the remainder of the vbody H..

The result of this cuttingnoperatons clearly shown in Fig. 3,1where it isfseen thatY the cutting operation leavesr aA body flange I8a slightlymreformed andfbent downwardly by the* cutting pressureand also leaves; av cover flange '[S.. The remaining 'bodyf I-l and separated cover.` k3; may then be reassembled, the cover parts23 andA 24 tting within the straightv body wallv I5 and forminga/ friction plug reclosure.

From the foregoing it will be `seen that the in-A vention provides a novel Abody and cover construction' especially adapted for sanitaryi sheet metal foodV containers, but .also applicable4 to otherV containers, which may be; effectively cut alongl a. clean line ofi severance without `bringing the cutterparts` or the cut container parts in contact with the container;A contents and which has all the advantages heretoforev mentioned and other advantages which have not been specifically described.

It will also be appreciated that when the end seams are required to. be liquid or air tightit is desirable to interpose aA packing orsealing compound material between the interlocked body and end closure flanges in a suitable and well known manner.

Also it is understood that the body and cover construction above described may be used at either bottom or top end of the container or at both ends. Also that the invention is not necessarily limited to the use of sheet metal in the construction of the container but that it may e adapted to other materials.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,- construction and arrangement of the parts Awithout; departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing al1 of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A sealed sanitary sheet metal container adapted to be opened by: ai cuttingftool withouteontac-ting the contents,y comprising Aa tubularA body member including a Wall terminating an outer flange, a, cou-ntersunkl end closurel member hav ing a peripheral ange interlocked with saidbody flange in` an end seam` joint., said ,body wall` adjacent. saidseam being bent outwardly and? thence inwardly and ,upwardly to provide an integral peripheral outwardly projecting ledge of dou-ble thickness constituting aV cutting tool support,said upwardly bent tubular. body wall between ysaid ledge and 4said joint. beingv offset outward-lyfrom the straight major portionof the body wall-and merging into said ledge. to provide a sharply de.- ned annular track for the tool to engage and cut` through, said closure memberl adjacent said joint extending inwardly in a substantially hori-Y zontal Wall part and thence downwardly into frictional .engagementV withl the inner surface of the/straight major body Wall portion so as to shield the container contents from the tool and to set off with said outwardly offset-bodywall portion a closed annular space disposed'I inwardly of said ledge for receiving the cuttingedgeV of the opening tool as the latter cuts through thel said outwardly offset body wal-l portion'atA its juncture with said ledge, such removal of the container end providing a plug reclosure element for f rictional engagement With the majorstraight body wall adjacent said ledge.

GEORGE C; ERB'. 

